The Finance Committee held Mid-Year Budget Hearings in connection with the Preliminary Budget Forecast for fiscal year 2019, Item 18-4447, beginning on July 23 to meet with all areas of County government. This is the first time such a process has been conducted. During the opening public comment period, the League of Women Voters of Cook County commended the Committee, noting that during last year’s meetings on the 2018 budget, a number of ideas to reduce costs were proposed, but there was not enough time to explore these ideas in order for them to be implemented during 2018. The League expressed its hope that having these mid-year hearings would allow time for any such ideas to be put forward and properly considered for the 2019 budget. The League also

Said it looked forward to the follow-up from last year’s ideas, such as the court utilization study and the report from the Chief Information Officer on opportunities to consolidate and centralize information technology

Urged that the Commissioners do all they can to see that on-going Shakman court-ordered oversight be concluded in the offices of the County, Assessor, Recorder of Deeds, and Clerk of the Court

Highlights from the hearings:

Chief Financial Officer Ammar Rizki and Budget Director Tanya Anthony

Recapped the 2018 $5.2 billion budget

Provided the preliminary 2018 year-end projections that there would be a $600,000 surplus in the total Operating Funds

Presented the 2019 preliminary budget forecast which has a projected $81.8 million deficit; the Budget Department will be working with all the departments to close that gap, which is the smallest projected deficit over the past 9 years

Departments have been asked to submit proposed 2019 budgets no greater than 2% over 2018

Comm. Gainer and Morrison both questioned the proposal to decrease the County’s supplemental (over and above the statutory limit) contribution to the pension funds in 2019. The Pension Board has asked for less, but Comm. Morrison in particular asked whether it would not be better to keep the payment at the same level which would either allow full funding to be achieved sooner or make up for any future reduced payments necessitated by a fall in sales tax receipts (the source of these supplemental payments).

County Clerk David Orr expressed his disappointment that his office’s proposal to purchase new voting equipment was not on the agenda for the Board meeting on July 25. He said that the office wanted to purchase this equipment as soon as possible to allow sufficient testing prior to its use during the 2020 primary and general elections. Clerk Orr stated that the vendor selected had the best equipment and lowest bid, along with a good reputation.

Representatives of Sheriff Dart said that the reduction in the jail population has resulted in reduced overtime costs, and the Sheriff expects to have $100,000 less in expenditures than budgeted for 2018. Labor costs for 2019 will exceed 2018 by $10 million due to Board approved labor contracts, but the Sheriff will look to reduce the impact through less overtime, streamlining the records division, and delaying hiring.

Comm. Deere asked the Sheriff to consider whether his area could partner with the Probation Department (under the Chief Judge) in such a way that both costs and recidivism could be reduced.